Power of Divinity
What Leylin prized the most was free will. For its sake, he wouldn’t even mind falling out with Distorted Shadow.
‘Besides, now that I’ve grasped a thread of divinity and become a divine being, I’m formally on my way to godhood. I can now sense the prayers of my followers and respond to them, although I can’t bestow divine spells. Still, this is quite good...’
Leylin closed his eyes. He could now sense the countless threads of faith in the air even without his Nightmare Absorbing Physique. It was easy to trace them back to their sources...
The territory of Viscount Tiff, in the northern lands. The Viscount was performing his daily prayers in a secret room, when he suddenly heard a voice within his mind. “Dear follower, I am here. I exist within you!”
Through his spiritual force senses, Tiff felt his prayers connect with a very familiar existence. That feeling immediately caused him to kneel, with tears streaming down his face, “Master, Winged Serpent God Kukulkan, you are finally awake...”
The same incident occurred with many of Kukulkan’s worshippers. They all began to pray, the power of their faith constantly transmitted to Leylin through the Weave and absorbed by his divinity of massacres.
‘The next step is to spread my faith and nurture the divinity, before I attempt to ignite my godfire...’ A fire seemed to blaze in Leylin’s eyes, ‘The power of faith is similar to that of a domain... Is this the massacre domain?’
“A.I. Chip,” Leylin commanded.
[Beep! Mission established. Host has obtained partial information on the massacre domain. Beginning simulations.]
‘The domain of the divinity of massacres awakened when I acquired it, but I need a lot of power of faith to operate it, using my own comprehension of the law...’ Leylin pondered, his eyes flashing as he stroked his chin.
Domains were the true assets of the gods. They used them to connect with the faith of their worshippers, and transform it into their own strength.
Leylin had only made superficial contact with the massacre domain, and the A.I. Chip couldn’t numerise it yet. After all, this divinity of massacres was not his own. Only with a better understanding of the law of massacres could he truly grasp the domain. The A.I. Chip would be able to numerise the information about the domain then.
Leylin stood up slowly, his breathing blowing a gust of wind across the secret room. The wind struck a steel plate, which began to buzz.
‘How strong am I, now that I’ve absorbed divinity?’ Leylin raised his arm, and a mirror made of water appeared. He was still strong and with a good physique, his golden curls matching well with his deep blue eyes to create the most standard image of a noble youth.
However, Leylin noticed a very hazy golden lustre being emitted from his body. It was very weak, and could even be overlooked if one wasn’t paying attention.
“Also...” Leylin stared at his eyes. Traces of gold flickered within the depths of the deep blue.
‘Is this what happens after absorbing divinity?’ Leylin stroked his chin, ‘I’ll be able to conceal it in its entirety once I adapt to its power in a few years. However, I don’t have that much time...’
“Shaylin, move the floating city towards the outer seas of Dambrath,” he ordered. He wore a purplish-gold robe with starlike patterns on it.
The entire ghost city began to rumble with his will. Elemental turbulence rocked the outer planes as it charged towards the space surrounding Dambrath. Anything obstructing its path was ground to powder.
Sitting at the control area, Leylin sneered. “Gods? The north? Hmph! What use are your plots if I just leave?”
He’d come to the north to obtain Malar’s divinity in the first place. His goal was now met, and he’d sensed the situation in the north. What better time to leave than now?
Such unhesitant decision-making was one of the reasons for Leylin’s survival to this day. Although there were immense benefits to be had in the north, he had offended the churches of two greater gods. How would he dare continue staying there?
‘Right now, the churches of the God of Justice and the Goddess of the Weave are preoccupied with helping Alustriel get her kingdom back; most of their forces will be concentrated in the north. There’s little chance of them making trouble for me...’
‘Tiff will be in trouble though...’ Leylin’s eyes flashed. ‘It’s only something I did in my leisure anyway. There’s little to hang on to there.’
At this thought, Leylin sent a prophecy down Tiff’s thread of faith. “Immense danger will arrive soon. Take all your forces and acolytes out of the north, and head to the outer seas of the Dambrath Kingdom...”
“Immense danger? Is it the church?” Tiff looked solemn as he began to pray, “My Lord, you are the master of everything. I shall carry out your will...”
“What’s wrong, darling?” Tiff’s mistress looked over from beside him, evidently worried. Although they’d shared a bed for many years, she still felt like this person was a stranger.
“It’s nothing much... I’m leaving...” Tiff ruthlessly got up and put on his clothes, “You can either come with me or stay behind to manage our lands...”
While she was still stunned, Tiff had already left the room. What came next was a huge ruckus.
Leylin could give up on the land and wealth in the north. Still, his acolytes had been nurtured painstakingly and were too important to be abandoned.
Tiff understood Leylin. He had the loyal acolytes leave as quickly as possible from the north, keeping them safe. With their quick and resolute departure, all the two churches found was what he’d abandoned. They had no clue of what they’d let escape.
......
Leylin had left without a sound and returned the same way. Besides Ernest, Baron Jonas and a few others, the people of the land did not even know that the legendary wizard who was their young master had left and returned in secret. The ordinary people found it normal for a wizard to hole up in their tower for a year and a half.
Once he greeted his parents and mentor, Leylin had no plans to care for the land. Instead, he stayed within the wizard tower, having his men settle these tasks.
His primary purpose now was to amass the power of faith and train his divinity, preparing to ignite his godfire and become a demigod...
A distorted layer of the massacre domain spread within the wizard tower. Leylin was currently wearing loose wizard robes as he felt the threads of faith in his territory.
It may have been because he was within his lands with many people protecting him, but the threads of faith were even more distinct than before. The massacre domain expanded, allowing him to have a better understanding of this great domain’s power.
‘The massacre domain should grow through constant battles, nurtured with lives. This ominous feeling. it’s like it can even steal life energy, which means the more I kill the more powerful my main body will get...’
Leylin saw the A.I. Chip make another prompt, [Obtained information regarding the massacre domain.] In his opinion, he would be able to control and analyze the domain quickly.
‘Tiff and the rest should arrive soon. I need to find a place to massacre, and nurture the divinity in my body...’ Leylin pondered as he stroked his chin.
He could sense that his divinity had grown by about 10% after absorbing so much power of faith.
‘The divinity of massacres I obtained was only an introduction, a medium. After I cross the threshold, I can transform the power of faith and boost my own divine force...’
Leylin seemed to understand something. Whether his divinity had another power was another matter altogether. Before becoming a divine being, it would have been impossible for him to communicate with his followers and absorb their faith without help from the Nightmare Absorbing Physique. Now, he could even transform the power of faith in preparation to ignite his godfire.
‘It’s best to comprehend the domain of massacre while spreading the source of faith... Is this... conquering?’ Leylin sank into deep thought, ‘Where can I find a large unconquered land and not attract the attention of the gods?’
The gods had basically divided up the prime material plane already, and there wasn’t much land left to take over. Even if Leylin wished to head to Karen’s home in the Underdark, he would still need to seize the faith of Lolth and a large number of other underground gods. Most importantly, they were all true gods, and it was impossible for him to go against them.
‘I’ll need to make my choice carefully... Tiff and the rest are going to arrive soon, so I should settle them down first and have them mix with the commoners of the land. I’ll make up my mind after fully unearthing the potential of this territory...’ With the current circumstances, Leylin could only plan things this way.